Lifelong dreams and family legacies were one step closer to being fulfilled as young people took the oath of allegiance to join the British Army.

Family and friends nervously gathered at the Civic Centre in Carlisle as their loved ones took the pledge.

It was the second ceremony to take place this year and saw 13 future soldiers from across Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway swearing to serve their Queen and country.

For some, joining the Army is a family legacy - mothers, fathers, brothers, and grandparents before them have sacrificed and served the country.

For others, it had been a lifelong dream to go and serve on the front lines.

Scott Dean, 16, from Aspatria, will follow the lead of his older brother by joining the army with the hopes of being a mechanic.

He said: “My brother was in the Army before me, so it kind of runs in the family.

“If I get a trade, I can get a career as well.

“I’m looking forward to passing out at Harrogate, as it is meant to be a big parade and the best time of your career apparently.”

Kristian Ballard, 16, from Whitehaven, is nervous about going off to join the Army to train as a combat medical technician, but excited for the opportunities that this will bring him both at home and abroad.

“Not only do I get experiences from the Army but I also get the experience to become a medic and do other things as well as the Army,” he added.

Kristian Dicker, 16, from Carlisle, is one of those who is a step closer to achieving his lifelong dream.

He will be joining the Royal Regiment of Scotland as an infantry soldier when he passes out of training.

“I have always wanted to do it and it feels right,” he said.

“It just feels natural to do it, to be honest.”

His mum, Lynne Humes, was beyond proud at all her son was going on to achieve.

She commented: “It’s the definition of bitter-sweet; I’m proud as anything of him but he is my little boy and he is going away.

“He was about three when he told me he wanted to join the Army and that is all he has ever wanted to do.

“To see him get this far, to see him making his dreams come true, is amazing.”

It is a proud moment, not just for the young people and their families, but also for Carlisle and Cumbria.

Marilyn Bowman, mayor of Carlisle, reflected on this: “I’m proud of these young people as a start-off.

“It’s the first step in a career for them that can take them all over the world.

“There is no greater honour than to represent your country, so the people of Carlisle are extremely proud of these young recruits as they go forward.”

Most of them will train to join the combat side of the Army as gunner crewmen, infantry soldiers, or guardsmen.

Others are joining engineering, medical, and signals corps which will see them eventually assume roles such as electronic technicians, vehicle mechanics, medical technicians, and communications engineers.

Major Marc Steventon was on hand alleviate any and all worries that the recruits and their families may have had about the training stage and their future careers.

He said: “It is quite a safe job, we value our soldiers. You can’t buy a British soldier: you have to grow them. So we take great care to look after all of our soldiers at all times.”

The ceremony may not have been their official oath but it gave the recruits a confidence boost ahead of the actual event.